Not Death, But Love
by TrunksGal
Summary: BEWARE IF YOU ARE NOT PRO-HOMO! Anyway, this is a story I came up with during a Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds dream, as my friends jokingly call it. Yamcha tries to come to terms his new found feelings in a hopefully good, long story. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Here's yet another fanfic that I've been working on, mostly in my head, though, but oh well. I wanted to put it up to amuse the masses as I worked on my other stuff. Hope you like this very, very short chapter! Let me know what you think, even if it gives you practically nothing to work off of . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ, ladefrigginda. Oh, and I hold no responsibility if you read this and are offended by homosexual relationships. That's your problem.  
  
**********  
  
Straightaway I was 'were So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair; And a voice said in mastery, while I strove-- "Guess now who holds thee?"--"Death," I said. But, there, The silver answer rang--  
  
"Not Death, but Love."  
  
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Why was he thinking about -Him- again? Why couldn't he get -Him- out of his mind? Standing up, he decided to wander around and clear his mind. He had recently gotten a new house, and silently thanked Bulma for the huge screen television that had been a housewarming gift, which he used to pass sleepless nights like tonight. Was he worried about this weekend? But -He- came over every time there was a football game with the home team playing, why was this any different? Flipping channels, he wondered why he felt like this. "I have a beautiful girlfriend!" he said to himself. "I should be happy!" He sighed and turned off the TV, tossing the remote onto the coffee table in front of him. "Well, lots of beautiful girlfriends if you want to get technical." Putting his feet up onto the coffee table, he leaned back into the fluffy couch and crossed his arms across his chest. "Maybe I'm just in denial, so that's why I haven't found a girl that I want to settle down with yet." He ran his hand over his short, black hair, then stood up. Why was he so anxious? He had never worried over anyone else like this. Had he not loved them, too? Of course he had! Just not like this. "Yamcha, Yamcha," he mumbled to himself as he paced the room, "You're getting yourself tied in a knot over nothing. Lets just wait until Sunday and see what happens." Sunday. It felt like an eternity away. Surely in an eternity he could figure out something! He smiled as he sat back down on the couch. Everything would be all right, he thought to himself as he fell asleep, his window letting through the light of the bright orange sunshine.  
  
*  
  
Author's Note: So, what did you think? Short, yes, but I do have another chapter going. Ah, the joys of annoyingly short introductions. . . gawd, I love it! And as soon as school starts up again, I'll be writing more! HOORAY! Well, peace out! 


	2. Chapter 2

"YAHOO!"  
Popcorn, chip, and soda went flying everywhere.  
"I guess I owe you guys some money," a short man said while reaching for his wallet.  
"More than just some, Krillin," a much taller man said. "Remember, I doubled mine!"  
The shorter man looked over at him. "No way, three-eyes! You did not!"  
Yamcha walked behind the couch, leaning over so his head was between the two. "Boys, boys, calm down! This thiz no tihme tooh be upthet!" He leaned even further over until he could grab the beer he was drinking off the table. "Oh my, I theem tooh be thuck!" He hiccupped and smiled happily as he attempted to drink some more, mostly spilling it on the rug, laughing the whole time. "We're havin thah gweathist tihme, awnt we Kwillin and Thien?"  
Krillin looked up at the clock. "Speaking of time, I better get going." He pulled a bunch of money out of his wallet and slapped it onto the table. "This should do the trick! Thanks gawd I stayed sober, 18 would have killed me!" He stood up and ran for the door, waving. "See ya, guys! Oh, and Tien, make sure Yamcha doesn't stay like that all night!"  
Tien looked over at Yamcha, who was still flopped over the back of the couch.  
"Alright," Tien replied as the door slammed shut. He sighed and poked Yamcha. "Hey, you conscious?"  
Yamcha smiled goofily. "Easy-peasy lemon . . . oh, beer!" He reached for Tien's almost finished beer can.  
Tien quickly grabbed the beer can and gulped down the last of it. "There. Now, can you stand up?"  
Yamcha looked at him all puppy eyed. "You're thoh meawn!"  
"I'll take that as a no," Tien said as he stood up. He could feel his cheeks flushing from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. Reaching, he grabbed Yamcha by the collar, lifting the drunken man to his feet.  
Yamcha slung a limp arm Tien's shoulders, saying, "Have I ewa thold yew how muth I wike yew, Thien?"  
"No, you haven't, but you can tell e later," Tien said. "Now, lie down on the couch like a normal person so I can go home."  
"No, I meawn how muth I weally, weally wike yew!" Yamcha said.  
"Yamcha, have you even heard one word I've said?" Tien asked. "Now go to beh-MMPH!!!"  
Tien stood wide-eyed as Yamcha pressed their lips together. Yamcha stepped back. "Yew er uh pweddy gwood chisser, fer uh dude." And he fell backwards onto the couch, passed out.  
Tien stood there for a sec, the comfort of the alcohol leaving his system in a flash, then put both of his hands over his mouth as he ran out, not even slowing down as he pulled the door shut behind himself, blasting off home.  
  
*  
  
Author's Note: Well, I know this is short, but this is all I got done last night before I fell asleep. Hope you like! ^_^ 


	3. Chapter 3

Yamcha groggily opened his eyes and saw his floor with unfocused eyes and saw his floor with unfocused eyes. He blinked a few times and his vision cleared. From the way he was positioned, he guessed that he had he had fallen asleep doubled over while sitting on his couch. How had he gotten there? Couldn't remember.  
  
Finally convincing himself to sit up, he saw the money on the table. Sort of remembering something about the home team winning, he somehow made his way into the next room, opening cabinets until he found bottle of pills, then ripped it open and dumped some in his mouth. Swallowing, he stood there for a while until the medicine took effect, then made his way back to count the money. There was way too much there for just him. Had Tien left his share of the bet? What would make him do that? Speaking of Tien, Yamcha couldn't remember when he left. Yamcha remembered kind of foggily Krillin leaving, but nothing after that. But Tien wasn't there; Yamcha couldn't sense him in the house. Why would Tien leave so suddenly that he would forget all of his money? Maybe . . . Yamcha laughed. It couldn't be. That was just a drunken dream. He stopped laughing. Wasn't it?  
  
*  
  
Tien leaned against a rock, holding a cold cloth to his head. "Maybe I shouldn't've finished that drink," he mumbled to himself.  
  
Chatzuo looked up from where he was cooking. "What is it, Ten?"  
  
"Nothing, Chatzuo," Tien said tiredly.  
  
"It doesn't seem like nothing to me," Chatzuo replied, tossing another piece of wood into the fire.  
  
"No, really, it's nothing," the aching man replied, wiping away some water that had dripped off the cloth and had slid down the side of his head.  
  
"You forget, Ten, I can read minds," and the smaller man slowly closed his eyes.  
  
"Chatzuo! NO! DON'T!" Tien shouted, then cringed as his head throbbed sharply as a reward for him yelling.  
  
Jest then, Chatzuo's eyes shot open. He whipped around, screaming, "YOU TWO TIMING BASTARD!" and blasted over, slamming his fist into Tien's face, sending the taller man flying straight through the rock that he was at one time leaning against.  
  
"Chatzee, it's not what you think!" Tien said, gritting his teeth as he tried to sit up.  
  
"DON'T YOU 'CHATZEE' ME!" Chatzuo screeched as he threw a huge energy ball at Tien, and the second it hit, he flew off.  
  
Tien stayed on the ground, his head ringing, and when he tried to go after Chatzuo, such a pain went through his head that he immediately stopped moving.  
  
This wasn't going well.  
  
*  
  
Yamcha walked around his house with a rather large garbage bag, trashing anything that hadn't been there 24 hours ago; beer cans, food containers, some of the food that had been in the containers . . . .  
  
At least this is what he had started doing when the doorbell rang. Glancing at the clock, he wondered who it could be. It was barely ten o'clock! He wasn't sleeping much anymore, but no one besides himself knew that.  
  
The doorbell rang again, and he tossed the garbage bag onto the couch. Making his way to the door, he opened it with a yawn; whoever it was didn't have to know of his insomnia. "Yeah?" he asked with his eyes half open, but his eyes shot open the second he saw who it was.  
  
"Can I come inside?" Tien asked.  
  
*  
  
Author's Note: HAH! I MANAGED TO UPDATE AROUND ALL OF MY HOMEWORK! ^_^ v But I won't be updating for a while! Hope this isn't too much of a cliffhanger for ya..... *evil laughing* Oh, and I realized why it looked like I had no paragraphs! I used the tab key after one return and it all looked like one paragraph because me paragraphs were so small! So I fixed it! 


	4. Chapter 4

Yamcha felt blood rushing to his cheeks as he nodded and mumbled, "Sure," then stepped back to let Tien in. He slowly closed the door while he listened to Tien knock stuff off the couch and flop down onto the clean spot with a loud sigh. Yamcha took a deep breath and carefully walked into the room.  
  
Tien looked up and saw Yamcha watching him with eyes like a scared puppy. That was so not like him! He looked back down. This wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done. Tien folded his hands and rested his elbows on his thighs, leaning forward slightly, his knees bending to almost a squatting position. "Yamcha, I'm going to have to be blunt with this," Tien said with an unusual softness in his voice. Looking up and straight into Yamcha's eyes, he said, "Whatever feelings you have towards me, I cannot return! As your friend I am telling you that this can't be." Yes, it has to hurt less this way. Tien put his face in his hands, which he ran back over his head until they rested on the back of his neck, keeping his head down and his face hidden from Yamcha. Well, more so that he couldn't see Yamcha than the vice versa.  
  
This was a good idea, because Yamcha had gotten over his initial shock was almost in tears. But then he clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut, a burning rage coursing through him. He didn't know why he was so angry. Was this what it was like to truly have your heart broken? He remembered all those girls who were so mad when he had broken up with them, there faces flashing across the back of his eyelids. Had they really been this hurt? But none of these realizations quelled his anger. "What, would it hurt your precious Chatzuo?" he spat.  
  
Tien didn't even flinch. He replied calmly, "Yes," his face still hidden from view.  
  
Yamcha felt all the anger leave him, realizing that he had overstepped his boundaries. He sat down next to Tien, wrapping his arms around the still man's waist and leaning his head against Tien's bare shoulder. "I'm sorry," Yamcha whispered. "I shouldn't have dragged him into this. It was not my place." By then, uncontrollable tears were streaming down his face.  
  
Tien felt the warm tears hit his arm and tilted his head so he could see Yamcha's face, but all he saw was a mass of black hair. He reached over, lifting Yamcha's head up until they were eye to eye. Tien didn't know what possessed him, be it pity or guilt or something else, but he suddenly found himself kissing Yamcha. Not a little peck, but a full fledged, in the face smooch. Yamcha slowly leaned forward until he was lying on top of Tien. He felt Tien's hand slowly run down his side and . . . push him off onto the floor.  
  
By the time Yamcha had regained his senses, Tien had already left. Yamcha felt tears sting at his eyes and put his hands over his face. What had he done? Was that his last chance, gone in the blink of an eye? He felt what had once been the warm encompass of love turn into the icy grip of death. He knew that if he could never have Tien, then he could never have happiness. So why go on living? Good question. Yamcha sat up and grabbed a beer can, then ripped it in half. He blocked out all the noises of the city, lest something make him change his mind, and pushed his finger against the ragged edge of the can, smiling when he saw blood.  
  
*  
  
Tien stopped in mid-flight. What was this strange feeling in the pit of his stomach? It had to be nothing. But he couldn't shake his feeling that something was wrong. Maybe Yamcha . . . no, he couldn't have! Tien turned around and went back the way he had come.  
  
*  
  
Yamcha quickly brought the metal down across his wrist. To his surprise, it didn't hurt at all. Much to the contrary, it felt nice. There was a soft sound, a familiar sound. Was that the ocean? It sounded beautiful. Everything around him stated to blur.  
  
He looked up and saw someone running towards him. Was that Tien? He had to smile at his own idiocy.  
  
Why would Tien come back for me?  
  
He was unconscious before he fell.  
  
*  
  
Author's Note: I know, I haven't updated in ages! But I have had so much homework. Finally, I caught the same cold for the third time in a row, and I have time now to type up what I've written! Which is actually not that much . . . *sigh* Well, at least it's something. I should have the next chapter up by tomorrow! Maybe even today if I can get my sinuses to stop throbbing long enough for me to concentrate on writing more to my story. Ok, I'll have it up by tomorrow. 


	5. Chapter 5

Tien blasted through the door and saw Yamcha sitting on his knees in front of the couch, with blood pouring out of his arm. Tien ran forward, and Yamcha looked up, squinting slightly. Tien watched in horror as everything around him seemed to move in slow motion. Yamcha smiled, a weak but haunting smile, then his eyes rolled back into his head. Tien dove forward, managing to catch Yamcha before he hit the ground.  
  
Tien went on complete auto-drive. He ripped off part of the bottom of his pants leg and kept it tightly held between Yamcha's wrist and chest. Tien picked up Yamcha, holding him tightly, keeping the cloth in place by squeezing the limp wrist between both their chests. "Don't you dare die on me!" Tien whispered as he carried Yamcha to the only place he could think to go:  
  
The Lookout.  
  
*  
  
"Do you have any threes, Mr. Popo?"  
  
Mr. Popo shook his head. "Go fish, Sire."  
  
Dende reached for the deck, but stopped short when he felt someone land outside. Was that Tien? "Mr. Popo, hurry!"  
  
Mr. Popo nodded and quickly followed the running guardian out the door. They saw Tien holding a bundle of something . . . "Oh my gosh!" Dende said when he realized what it was. "Is that Yamcha? Mr. Popo, please take them to one of the bedrooms while I check for something."  
  
Mr. Popo said a hasty, "Yes, Sire," before leading Tien into the palace and to a large bedroom. "You can put Yamcha down on this bed, and Mr. Popo will see to his wounds for now."  
  
Tien carefully put Yamcha down on the bed, removing the soaked cloth, absentmindedly wiping some of the blood off his own chest.  
  
Just then, Dende burst through the door. Glancing at Tien, he asked, "Are you hurt, too?"  
  
Tien shook his head slowly.  
  
"Good," Dende said as he rushed over to Yamcha. "I may need you to run an errand for me later." He stretched his arms towards Yamcha, and a green glow enveloped the pale man. The wrist wound closed immediately. "He's lost a lot of blood, this make take a while." He looked up at Tien and added softly, "Why don't you go clean up? Mr. Popo will come for you if we need anything, alright?"  
  
Tien nodded. Feeling a bit of the fog lift from him, he asked, "Will he be alright?"  
  
Dende looked back down at Yamcha and said, "I'm not going to lie to you." He looked back up again. "I don't know."  
  
Tien turned and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.  
  
Once Tien had closed the door, Mr. Popo asked Dende, "Sire, Mr. Popo thought that back on Namek you had healed Vegeta when he had had a hole in his middle the size of his head. You were much younger then and it didn't take you long."  
  
"That's right," Dende replied. "But Vegeta had a great will to live and had held on. But Yamcha . . . I can tell that he did this to himself. His will to live is gone, so his spirit has already begun to go to the Other World. I don't know if I have the power to bring his spirit back, but I have the power to heal his body."  
  
Mr. Popo nodded and watched as Dende attempted to bring back Yamcha's soul.  
  
*  
  
Tien stepped on the surprisingly warm tile floor. He closed the door and looked around the room with a kind of amazement at how well accommodated the barely ever used room was. Clean towels, a decently sized sink with extra toothbrushes, a large shower . . . and on top of all that, it was color coordinated! Soft teals and a calming shade of off white cradled him, and he felt a sense of peace. Reaching into the shower, he turned one of the metallic knobs and a soft rush of warm water sprung from the showerhead. It had been a long time since he had had a real shower. Since he usually lived in the middle of nowhere, how anything had become a delicacy.  
  
He took off his pants and carefully laid them on the ground, quickly glancing at the door before taking off his underwear. Slipping into the shower, the blood on his chest became liquid when the water hit it, running a red trail down his body and swirling down the drain. Tien tilted his face up into the stream of water, some of the water misting and falling to his shoulders. He sat down and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, leaning back until he rested against the back of the tub. He slid down until he was sitting, pulling his knees to his chest and pressing two of his eyes against his knees until the back of his eyelids sparkled.  
  
He refused to cry.  
  
*  
  
Author's Note: TADA! UPDATED! ^.^ Hope you enjoyed it, because I don't have a clue of what's going to happen by the end! ^.^;;; 


End file.
